Well, one nice thing about it is that it lengthens the trip, which gives one more time to sleep. Except that the coaches don't have curtains or blinds on the windows, so the brightly lit platforms at Penn make it hard to sleep. I hope the new Airos have curtains or blinds on the coach windows. I don't know what they were thinking when they built the Amfleet 1s without them.The Layover @ NYP for 66/65/67 is an abomination as all who have expierienced it know!
Northeast Regional discussion
- Thread starter Dan O
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joelkfla
Engineer
It was awful on both the Silver Meteor & the Pennsylvanian a week ago. I gave up and turned on my cell phone hot spot. Cell service was mostly 4G and generally good, getting slow just a couple of times for a few minutes.
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It’s hit or miss - and lately more miss than hit.
It's lousy. I even get "hit" with it's lousiness when a train stops at NRK (where I hang out when trains are stopping there) since my phone picks up the wifi.
I don't think it's any better in the stations, either. I might not lose connection, but the connection i get is slow. WMATA's stations wifi is better.
I don't think it's any better in the stations, either. I might not lose connection, but the connection i get is slow. WMATA's stations wifi is better.
Septa9739
Lead Service Attendant
When and why did 93 stop making Trenton? I remember taking taking it to Trenton not too long ago.
Probably because of low ridership at TRE and a Keystone & 19 both serve TRE shortly after 93 would stop there
Acela150
Super Buff
It was actually a way to keep trains moving. 93 and 647 stopped at Trenton within minutes of each other. It tied up the railroad quite a bit. They tried having 647 skip Trenton for a bit. They flipped the two skipping Trenton.
I haven't seen anything posted either here or on Amtrak's web site (it still says the Hell Gate project nightly closure of the line north of NY is still in effect until "approximately September 2023", but there is an announcement of new low fares on the Night Owl ($20 between Boston and New York) and 66/67 are now showing up on the Amtrak map and Transit docs map. 66 doesn't leave NYP until almost 5AM (used to be about 3), so there is a very long layover. 67 southbound arrives at NYP about midnight. Maybe they are still closing the Hell Gate tracks from about 11:30 to 5:30, getting six hours of work in?
The Night Owl doesn't arrive in Boston until about 10:30-11 AM, much much later than it used to, but at least it is still running.
I wonder if they let you board 66 as soon as it arrives in New York? Waiting in the old NYP Amtrak waiting area for several hours was pretty awful, especially since they forced everyone to wait in half the area while they cleaned the other half (loud vacuum cleaners) and then at about 2 AM, they forced everyone to wake up and move to the other half while they closed and cleaned the first half. I understand Moynihan is closed at night, so you can't wait there.
Also, I've heard no word about restoring the Night Owl sleeper. Sitting/sleeping in coach for 3-4 hours in the bowels of Penn Station doesn't sound too good, either.
The Night Owl doesn't arrive in Boston until about 10:30-11 AM, much much later than it used to, but at least it is still running.
I wonder if they let you board 66 as soon as it arrives in New York? Waiting in the old NYP Amtrak waiting area for several hours was pretty awful, especially since they forced everyone to wait in half the area while they cleaned the other half (loud vacuum cleaners) and then at about 2 AM, they forced everyone to wake up and move to the other half while they closed and cleaned the first half. I understand Moynihan is closed at night, so you can't wait there.
Also, I've heard no word about restoring the Night Owl sleeper. Sitting/sleeping in coach for 3-4 hours in the bowels of Penn Station doesn't sound too good, either.
I believe you’re referring to the low fares for all trains that depart between 7 pm & 7 am (previously it was 5 am).
I was looking at NYP to WAS, the last Acela from WAS to NYP on Saturdays is still 2 PM.
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I know there are some that leave my station (WIL) before 7 am and after 7 pm.
Not a complete list
From Amtrak.com, departures on Tuesday the 19th:
Northbound departures from Washington:
NER 190 4 AM (arrive New York at 7:27, so fares would apply for departures from Baltimore, Wilmington and Philly, too.)
NER 170 5:08 AM
NER 130 6:25 AM
Palmetto 90 7:57 PM
NER 186 8:25 PM
NER 66 9:55 PM
Northbound departures from Philadelphia:
NER 66 12:11 AM
NER 190 5:59 AM
Keystone 640 7:00 AM
656 Keystone Service 7:55 PM
NER 138 8:06 PM
Palmetto 90 9:55 PM
NER 186 10:28 PM
The Amfleet I's were a means to quickly introduce a much needed fleet of modern coaches to the Amtrak system. They were quick to get, because they were derived from the already in service Metroliner MU cars. The Metroliner's were designed for high speed, corridor routes, and never intended for long-distance overnight trains, hence tinted glass,
They had a bit more time to modify them for the Amfleet II order, with larger windows and curtains...
Acela150
Super Buff
There’s also now a 5:00 PM Acela from WAS to NYP on Saturdays. I hated that the last train was at 2
I was looking at NYP to WAS, the last Acela from WAS to NYP on Saturdays is still 2 PM.
That most likely won't change for a while either. It might get pushed back an hour or so at best.
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Yesterday I was on a train from BAL to NYC. Three times I noticed someone along the track holding a red circular sign with a "W" on it. I was curious what these sings mean?
Thanks!
Thanks!
Acela150
Super Buff
It's a portable whistle board held by a Watchman.
It means that trackworkers are in the area and trains must sound two longs a short and a long and then one long and one short until workers have been passed.
The watchman will watch for trains and upon seeing one blow an air horn, similar to a soccer horn. This is a warning to the trackworkers that a train is approaching. At night trackworkers will hold a strobe lights of sorts which is in place of the whistle board.
It means that trackworkers are in the area and trains must sound two longs a short and a long and then one long and one short until workers have been passed.
The watchman will watch for trains and upon seeing one blow an air horn, similar to a soccer horn. This is a warning to the trackworkers that a train is approaching. At night trackworkers will hold a strobe lights of sorts which is in place of the whistle board.
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Thanks. I thought it had something to do with safety. Was this a result of fatal accidents on the NEC?
JamesWhitcombRiley
Lead Service Attendant
Routine maintenance or improvements. There were seven passenger deaths on all US railroads in 2022. https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/home-and-community/safety-topics/railroad-deaths-and-injuries/ Compare highways, per mile or raw numbers.
Acela150
Super Buff
No. Nothing to do with it.
ISO advice for travel from DC to NYC via Amtrak. Pros and Cons of Acela (besides the price) the NE Regional train and the Crescent. Probably going to do something in the afternoon/evening. TIA
JamesWhitcombRiley
Lead Service Attendant
Acela / Business are marginally worth it, maybe not First Class. Coach Quiet Car is free. Unless you want to socialize, then go coach non-quiet. Northbound, the further from WAS it started the more likely it is to be late. If you take a train that originates in WAS, you get to use the better and less crowded high level boarding area.
